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4.0 out of 5 stars
4 1/2 *s A Windfall of great story telling!, January 23, 2004
This review is from: Windfall (2 Novels in 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a duet of stories (one old and one new) about two women rediscovering what they want out of life.
JoAnn Ross's WITHOUT PRECEDENT was originally published in 1986 and it holds up well as we meet harried, divorced single mom Jessica O'Neill who started her life over after her divorce. She depends on no one and is determined NEVER to marry again. She's experienced that trap once and will never give up her independence or identity for a man. She's determined to raise her three daughters and build her fledgling law career all on her own.
Quinn Masterson, on the other hand, has spent his whole adult life focused on building his law career and making partner by age forty. Well he just turned forty last month and has achieved all his career goals. Now he is ready to focus on his personal life. And as if on cue, into his life walks the lovely Jessica O'Neill, opposing counsel on a divorce case that Quinn is handling for a friend. It's love at first sight for Quinn and he proceeds to sweep her off to dinner (if not off her feet) and charms his way into her consciousness. He very quickly also charms his way into her family, winning over her three daughters and her mother in short order. How come charming the prickly Jess is so difficult? She is perfectly happy to have an affair with Quinn but no more. Problem is Quinn wants more - he wants it all - marriage, a home, kids you name it. Can he ever convince gun-shy Jessica that she can be married without losing her hard won independence? Personally I thought Jess was a bit unreasonable as well as selfish, especially since it was clear that Quinn was nothing like her ex. He is sweet, considerate, fun to be with and supportive of her plans and dreams. He was romantic, spontaneous, sexy and just plain adorable! Will Jess finally see the light and discover that she is one lucky woman?
Though Jess had her moments where she made me (and Quinn!) crazy, this is still an enjoyable story.
I had never heard of Isabel Sharpe until I visited Shannon McKenna's (one of my fave authors) website and clicked on her link to Ms Sharpe's site. There I read the excerpt for WITHOUT A NET and decided this was a story I wanted to read. It's a charming, sweet and poignant story of shy, repressed Amanda Marcus and spontaneous, free-spirited Arch Williams.
Amanda has lived her life quietly and, for the most part, for other people. She is intimidated and overshadowed by her flamboyant, appearance-conscious and overbearing mother to the extent that she is not sure who she really is and what she really wants. She's also been unlucky in love having been left, not only at the altar by her first love, but also eighteen and pregnant. She's spent the last seven years working as a seamstress, raising her daughter and avoiding her mother. But when the whirlwind of Arch Williams and his three nephews enters Amanda and Clarissa's quiet life things will never be the same.
Arch Williams writes children's books and seems to be a child at heart himself. He has just bought the house in which Amanda rents an apartment and has also become temporary guardian for his three nephews. When they invade Amanda's apartment so that Arch can meet his new tenant, the two females seem timid and small when contrasted to Arch and his high-spirited nephews. At first all Arch sees is a painfully shy and repressed woman - not at all his type. But soon Arch begins to believe that there is more to this shy butterfly than he first thought and he is determined to bring her out of her shell.
Amanda and Arch begin a romance, which is fun and sweet with Arch challenging her to assert herself and Amanda teasing him about his overgrown kid ways. But as things get more serious these differences begin to cause conflicts that may just tear them apart - along with other external factors that force Amanda to make some serious decisions about her future. Meanwhile, in a charming and deftly drawn subplot Amanda's high society mother Maude is reluctantly attracted to Arch's working class dad Sonny. What a cute romance and metamorphosis for Maude! It seems that Amanda wasn't the only one who was afraid to break out and live the life she really wanted! A charming, sweet story - I'll look forward to reading more from Ms Sharpe.
Two enjoyable stories and a highly recommended read!
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